well, I am down 25-30lbs from mid-January.  The first 10-15lbs was from being very very sick with a respiratory infection and existing on a soup, fruit juice and fresh fruit diet. The last 15lb [over the [...]]]> People who haven’t seen me for a while keep asking me the same thing, “How much weight have you lost?”

well, I am down 25-30lbs from mid-January.  The first 10-15lbs was from being very very sick with a respiratory infection and existing on a soup, fruit juice and fresh fruit diet. The last 15lb [over the last 5 weeks] is deliberate and is being accomplished through Dr. Bernstein [a medically supervised diet program].

I feel great! TONS of energy, virtually no-minor headaches, my skin looks better and my butt definitely looks better. It’s been very positive so far. I have a target of another 25-30lbs.  My pantsize has been reduce by 4 sizes and I’m verging on another drop in size. YAY!

Here is a headshot to compare the difference from last fall to today. I can definitely see the changes… can you?

Fall 2008

March 25, 2009

T is heading off to Hong Kong next weekend for 3 weeks to visit one of his oldest and closest friends. He’s going to be visiting Mainland China [...]]]> It isn’t easy I tell you, especially when you have maybe only 4 WHITE walls in your entire house and your subject [my hubby T] gets the giggles.

T is heading off to Hong Kong next weekend for 3 weeks to visit one of his oldest and closest friends. He’s going to be visiting Mainland China while he is in HK and needs a Visa to get in and out of the country, so he needs a ‘passport style’ photo. This is where I step in. Camera in hand, we find one of the only largeish white walls in our house and silliness quickly ensues… Below you will find my handy dandy 12-Step guide to taking your own ‘passport style’ photos at home. Enjoy!

How to take a ‘Passport Style’ photo at home:

1. Pose in front of a white wall. Look pissed off. Lighting is all wrong.
2. Say ‘pickle’ to your subject and dare them not to laugh.
3. Figure out the flash situation, but set the power too high and over expose your now giggling subject while they mutter ‘pickle’ under their breath.
4. Get the lighting just about right and tell your subject to stop laughing. Yeah, like THAT is going to work!
5. Subject tries really really hard not to smile, it isn’t working too well.
6. Subject gives in to the giggles and loses concentration. Tell them to stop, and make them laugh harder. Dare them NOT to pee their pants.
7. Subject gives up and goes with ‘it’. Take some silly shots of your subject for blackmail purposes later – you never know when you’ll need it.
8. Trying hard again not to smile, but eyes are still crinkling and the corners of the mouth are still not pissed off looking enough.
9. Finally getting giggles under control, almost a perfect ‘passport style’ shot. We might be finished before midnight – thank god.
10. FINALLY the perfect ‘passport style’ photo happens, 20+ shots later and with much laughter throughout.
11. Let the subject have fun as a reward. Take a few more blackmail shots and reward subject with a yummy cookie.
12. He’s not too sure about the cookie, but he’ll take it anyways.

Finally… take all those random, awful, funny shots and create photobooth strips for fun. They are super easy to do and can be printed out on 8.5×11″ paper. I’ve even found a FREE online template from Sugarplum Paperie to make creating your photobooth strip easier.

Have fun! and Happy Monday [yeah yeah... I know...]